Be Bold Be Assertive.

Rohit

I rang the bell and waited for the door to be opened. I heard the confident firm footsteps. I could very well imagine Aunt Rupali walking leisurely with an exaggerated sway to her high butt. There was a small pause. She must be looking through the door eye with her big eye with long lashes.

Aunt Rupali is my father's cousin sister; and my heart throb. Her husband died in an accident long time back. At that time they were living in another city. She has a daughter Charu she is much younger than me. My father brought the two of them here to live close to us. We consider them family.

I heard the deadbolt turn and the door opened a few inches. I opened it wide. Aunt was already walking back towards her kitchen. I admired and enjoyed the sway of her hips. I knew her big boobs were also bouncing in tandem in her night dress. The sash under them tied tightly around the midriff. She was younger than my mom.

I followed her to the kitchen. She poured a glass of cold water for me. I took it from her. My fingertips glided over her small fingers sending electric waves through whole my body. She looked up and then quickly lowered her eye. Our eyes met for the briefest moment. It made my blood rush to my brain.

My eyes traveled down along with hers and stopped to adoringly look at the beautiful, healthy cleavage showing to advantage. She was very much aware of my eyes feasting on her ample bosom and maybe also of the thoughts going in my mind. She turned away.

"I am preparing coffee. Want a cuppa?" She asked her voice strung.

Now was my chance.

Atish, my friend, and my Guru had told me. No woman, no aunt is going to refuse you if you act timely and boldly, if you are assertive enough. That is the type of man whom no woman can ever refuse. I felt that the right time was now and she was as ready as she would ever be.

I didn't have a lot of time on my hand. The college term was going to end soon and then I was off to university, to the big city. Who knows if I will get a chance again? It was a situation like 'Now or never.'

I moved forward and placed my hands on her shoulders.

"You look so beautiful in this dress." I sad softly trying to set the stage.

She looked up throwing her head back.

"You have said it so many times I have forgotten the count." She said in a naughty and teasing tone. I turned her around and took her in my arms.

"Hey! What are you doing?" She said trying to wriggle out of my embrace. But I was holding her firmly.

"Let go off me." She said still half laughing half shouting. But I was not going to let her go. I was acting bold and assertive. I lifted her chin and tried to kiss her lips.

She stopped laughing.She was definitely angry now and was trying to get rid of me vigorously trying to push me away, knee me, slug me. She turned her head away. I kissed her on the cheek. She was out of breath struggling with me She let out a deep sigh and I immediately placed my lips on hers; gently. I broke the kiss immediately. Her eyes were open wide with astonishment. She was trying her best to free herself from my bear hug.

"I love you." I murmured softly easing my hold.

Her eyes shone like hot ambers. She gave me a hard shove. I staggered a foot or two backstill holding her

"Love?" She shouted at the top of her voice.

"You know what you are saying? I am... your father's sister. Do you know what that means? If I tell your dad He will throw you out of his house.

I took my hands off her.

"Listen!..." I said trying to stay calm

.

"You listen. This is called molestation, rape. You call it love? Your pure naked lust." She had tears in her eyes. I tried to embrace, her to console her.

"Don't touch me. You try anything again I call the police." She added.

She looked for her cell phone and quickly snagged it from the kitchen shelf.

"No it is not what all you are saying. I love you I am in love you since I have forgotten when." I had to keep my bold front. "Call whomever you want to call." I said angrily.

She immediately started punching numbers on her mobile phone.

Strangely enough I didn't feel any fear. I heard the ringing on the other end. Suddenly Aunt Rupali's demeanor changed.

"Hi! Farida! What are you doing? I have made coffee." Rupali spoke into the phone.

...

"Come quickly before it gets cold." She switched off the phone abruptly.

"Why didn't you call your bro or the Police? I am not going anywhere." I said angrily still trying to maintain the upper hand.

Inwardly I knew the game was over before it had started and I was out on a 'DUCK.'

"I am not like you. I still care for you. I don't want to spoil your life. I never expected this from you of all people." Rupali said.

"I too care for you very much. I don't want you to waste your life like that. You are pretty, kind, young..." I started to argue.

She threw a spoon at me.

"Get out and never show me your face again. You are not welcome here anymore." She shouted at me angrily.

"Leave, before Farida comes." She glowered.

I left silently but I was angry. Nothing has happened the way I had imagined, hoped. I met Farida on the way out. I don't know what I said to her.

I didn't know where to go. So I went where my feet took me and soon found myself knocking at Atish's door.

#

Atish opened the door immediately.

"Hey! Buddy what brings you here at this time of the day?" He asked enthusiastically. It was noon hour and Sun was right on top of head. The heat outside was blistering. Not a visiting hour by any standard.

He saw my face and immediately knew that all is not well.

"What happened?" He asked staggered.

"I lost the game." I replied.

"Game! Which game? There was no game scheduled for today." He asked bewildered.

I am pacer of my college cricket team and he is a middle order batsman.

"With my aunt." I explained.

"Your Aunt?" He had some difficulty connecting the dots.

Then suddenly it dawned upon him.

"You went to her. What happened?" He asked eagerly.

"She threw me out of her house." I said curtly.

"What? Tell me everything in detail. And make it fast. My lady love will be here any minute. You can't stay here for long." Aitsh said.

I told him everything from the moment I entered the house.

"What if she tells your parents?" Atish asked. He didn't know yet that she was my father's sister but he knew that she visited our house frequently.

"That is least of my worries. What shall I do to save the relationship? She told me not to come back ever again." I asked.

"You go and fall in her feet and beg for her pardon that is the only way out." He told me.

"You think so?" I asked not liking any part of it.

"What is the big deal? If she had let you have you way you would be kissing her feet. What is the problem with touching them now? Won't you? She will pardon you and you can give her another try." Atish replied with a sly smile on his face.

I felt like jumping in front of a train.

Suddenly he broke into laughter.

"I was just pulling your leg. I won't suggest anything like that ever." He guffawed.

It did lessen some strain.

I laughed with him.

"Listen! She is not the only one who can get angry. You should counter that bt showing your own annoyance.He advised. "You told her 'you love her' now the ball is in her court." He said getting serious.

"Her court? She has bloody kicked me out of the ground, out of the pavilion and you talk of some bloody court." I shouted at him in frustration.

"Calm down. She will respond and she will respond positively." Love is not a child play, You told her that you love her. She can't stay indifferent to that. She can't be that insensitive. Let's ask my pussy cat she will be soon here. She will know better what to do in such circumstances."

The words had just left his mouth when the door knocked.

He went to open the door and came back with a pretty, middle aged woman on his arms. She missed a step when she saw me.

"Don't worry; he is my friend, Rohit. He needs your advice." Atish said quickly to put her mind at rest.

She extended her hand. I took it. Her hand was soft and delicate but her handshake was firm. I immediately took a liking to her.

I had to repeat the whole saga to her. She listened to me attentively, with her elbow on her thigh and chin resting on her palm.

"You do love her very much." She said in the end.

I nodded my head.

"I am not asking you. I can see it for myself."

"Why can't she see it?"I asked infuriated.

"She can, she can. She is over reacting because it is taboo." She said and became silent. "Are you a man of strong will? Then the best course will be to do nothing. Don't go to her don't call her don't talk about her. She won't be able to tolerate that indifference. She is bound to react to that." She said cheerfully.

"I told him. Didn't I? I was right. The ball is in her court." Atish jumped in fervently.

"You will be alright. You want to know how long it took me to say yes to your friend?" She asked.

"Three blooooody months." Atish interjected.

"You are a good chap. If you don't want to wait, I can introduce you to a pretty, nice lady I know. She will make you forget it all in no time." She said to placate me.

"I think I will wait." I said thoughtfully.

She got up from her chair gave me a hug and a peck. "I knew you will."

Atish immediately took her arm. "And now if you will leave us..." He said turning to me.

"Where are you sending him in this heat? What kind of friend you are?" She said with some concern in her voice.

She turned to me. "You stay right here. We will be back soon." She said giggling and winked. She took Atish's hand and he led her to his bedroom.

I didn't want any other girl still her reassurance and her kiss had somewhat relieved my anxiety. For better part of an hour I sat there listening to their laughter and giggles smooches and sighs and groans and squeals. Then that continuous pattern of groans and sobs set in and soon wails and yelps joined in.

They came out looking fresh and lively and quite happy. She winked at me again. She joined us for a can of can of 'Carlsburg.'

#

I went back home late and drunk. Mom was waiting for me. I didn't want dinner. I had had a lot of junk with beer and whiskey. But my mind was at rest, for the time being. Mom insisted that I should eat something. She looked a bit worried. It was not the first time she had seen me drunk like that. It had happened before when I came home late from our parties after the victories or birthdays. She tried to make small talk but I flopped in my bed and fell asleep immediately.

#

Rupali

My whole day was spoiled. I could never have imagined that it would come to this. Rohit's behavior was totally unexpected; A bolt out of the blue. I had acted boldly... rashly. But now I was afraid. I didn't know what to do. But I had to tell Sanjna, My bestie, my sister in law and Rohit's Mom.

She also got worried and was more worried when he did not come back by dinner time. I told her to send him to me on some pretext. I will sit down with him and explain to him the situation clearly. I told Sanjna.

The day passed by somehow. My Daughter Charu and other household chores kept me sufficiently busy. But sleep won't come to me. I was tossing and turning in my bed when my phone started to vibrate under the bed sheet. Charu was sleeping like a log.

"Hello!" I whispered.

"He has come back."

"Thank God."The words escaped my mouth automatically.

"Drunk, Dejected, Demoralized. Didn't eat anything."

My uneasiness grew. Words failed me.

"You told him to come to me?" I asked her after some time.

"No. didn't have the heart, moreover he was not in a mood to llisten. I will find some excuse in the morning." Sanjna replied.

"Do it, please. Everything will be fine again." I said.

Wishful thinking

.

I didn't sleep the whole night. Why did I react the way I did.

#

Rohit

I got up in the morning with a splitting head ache. I immediately went under the shower. My mind cleared and the headache receded. I was angry with myself, with Rupali, with mom, with Atish, in short with the whole word.

I won't talk to that bit..ch,

You can't call her names.

I told myself. But I was not going to show her my face. I am not going to think about her at all. But all the time I was thinking of her and her only. I got ready for my college.

Mom was in the kitchen when I came downstairs.

"There is a bag near the front door. Give it to your aunt Rupali on the way." She called out to me. I entered the kitchen and rolled a Prantha to eat with yogurt.

"I can't do that. I am not going that way." I told her.

"You are not going to college?" She asked a little astonished.

"I am but I am going by a different route. I have to meet one of my teammates." I told her.

But she was not going to take 'NO' as an answer.

"But that is urgent." She said. "Please." She added putting an arm around me to disarm me..

"Okay." I surrendered.

She gave me a sideways glance.

"Where did you get drunk last night?" She asked raising her voice a little.

"There was a birthday party and I was not drunk." I snapped back again and left the kitchen. There was something odd in mom's voice. It was not her usual tone.

#

I took the bag lying next to the outer door and kick started my Hero Honda. I was angrier now. I knew what I was going to do.

I reached Aunt Rupali's house opened the gate, went to the main door rang the bell and left the bag on the door steps.

She came running after me. "Rohit! Rohit! Stop! You can't go like that."

She came and caught me by the wrist.

"Yesterday you were saying something different. Stick to your words." I told her gruffly.

"Listen, I am ready to forgive and forget everything, never to remember again if you agree." She said earnestly.

"Forgive! Forget! It is you who should be sorry. My love is pure. You abused it, you used dirty words for that. You rejected me. You did what's right for you. I will do what I think is right for me. I don't give a damn about your threats. I love you. I will love you more tomorrow. This is not a blackboard in a class room that you can wipe clean and start writing anew. The letters are engraved on my heart. R U P A L I. Nobody can wipe it out". But I will never talk to you again."

"I shall feel sorry...?" She was totally nonplussed.

I had said all what came to my mind. I may have overdone it but who cares, I have already lost the battle.

"You have abused my love." I said angrily.

"My final Good bye, Lovey." I added to rub it in.

"Listen, I think I will have to come clean. Actually I am already seeing someone." She said suddenly.

I was dumbfounded. The earth slipped from under my feet.

"Then..." I felt as if somebody had stabbed right into my heart. "Then you should have told me yesterday instead of throwing accusations at me. You want to eat the cake and have it also. You have a lover on the side and you need a servant to do your chores. You are a very selfish woman. Marry him and have a happy life. All the best. You will never hear from me ever again."

I jerked my arm free from her grip. She had lost all her color.Her face was blanched her lips dry.

Hi! Bro! You not coming in?" Charu's voice startled both of us. She was standing at the gate all dressed for the school.

"No Mousey. Some other time, Getting late for college." I waved to her and left.

#

First thing I did when I reached college was to find Atish. I told him everything. He slapped my back.

"You had put that bitch in her place. My God! She is going to beg you to fuck her. She is going to fall on your feet and beg." Atish said haughtily.

"Hey! Don't use bad words for her." I said.

"It's not abusing. It is just a figure of speech. And think how much she had made you suffer. You really care for her very much. Don't worry you have her by the throat." He assured me.

"But what about that other person?" I asked my heart running a marathon.

"There is no other person. She is lying, lying bitch." He again said to reassure me.

I myself was not convinced. I wanted to go to the pub and get drunk. It lessens the pain. But I couldn't. I had match practice in the evening. Better attend some classes.

#

Rupali

I entered my house in tears. Charu was standing in the hall looking at me angrily with a big pout on her face.

"What did you do to him, Mom?" She asked angrily.

"Nothing darling. What will I do to him?" I said defensively.

"Then why was he so angry?" Charu asked.

"It is nothing dear, some misunderstanding." I tried to placate her.

"No, I have never seen him so annoyed. Whom are you seeing? You never told even me." Charu dropped the bombshell.

I was shocked. My jaw dropped. Had she heard it all?

"You going to marry him? Won't Rohit come to see us ever again?" Where am I going to live?" Charu threw a volley of questions at me.

I have gotten myself into a bigger shit. What was the need to lie?

"You Won't tell me?" She asked angrily. "Then let me tell you, I am not going to live with somebody else? I will go to live with Sanjana auntie." Charu said and went out stomping to wait for her school bus.

Whole my life had gone topsy-turvy in the span of some 24 hours and no one except me was to blame. It was me who was teasing him, showing a lot of leg and cleavage and saying things with double entendre. Deep down I was very much attracted to him. I very much wanted to be with him.

I called Sanjna as soon as Charu was on her school bus.

"How did it go?"Sanjna asked the moment the line connected.

"Disastrously" He accused me of so many things. Sanjna, I need to stop it."

"What happened?" She asked worriedly.

"I am going to give in. I will let him has his way. You have to arrange it somehow." I told her.

"Are you crazy?" Sanjna asked nervously.

"No. I am not. Only you can arrange it. He won't listen to me or anybody else." I pleaded with her.

"Why?" Sanjna asked baffled.

"I don't know how I could be so foolish. I told him I am seeing someone." I whimpered.

"Let me talk to him." Sanjna pleaded.

"No, no. He shouldn't know that you know. He will hold it against me. Now that he has said that he won't talk to me ever again" I explained.

"I can't make a head or foot of the situation, I am coming to you. We will find a way out together. We always do." Sanjna tried to reassure me.

"Come, please come. I will kill myself sitting alone here." I begged of her.

Sanjna and Rupali

Sanjna chose her clothes carefully. She selected a loose Plazzo and a loose top that was just long enough to cover her ass. These clothes did nothing to improve her looks or her sex appeal. Actually they made her look like an old hag. But they were easy to take off and put on.

Underneath she was wearing designer bra and panties. They loved to flaunt their sexy voluptuous bodies in front of each other and in front of Rupali's full-length mirrors in her bath and bed room. That was why they had been put there. Sanjna had aged well. She was five years older than Rupali but her body was in better shape. Her muscles were taut and skin silky and shiny. Her breasts and butt had literally no sag to them. Rupali envied her body.